Government urged to protect welfare of Filipinos in crisis situations abroad

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Bong Go sees the need to streamline public service delivery for Filipinos abroad as their needs are becoming more complex, urgent and complicated.

Citing the massive explosion at the Beirut port in Lebanon where the Philippine embassy immediately acted on requests for assistance from Filipinos, he said there is a continuing need for a comprehensive preparation and timely assistance for Filipinos in crisis situations abroad.

Given the possibility that the crises in other countries may result to the return of more overseas Filipino workers, the government agencies here must make sure that the affected OFWs are accounted for, provided immediate aid and repatriated, if necessary.

According to Go, the Philippine Development Plan 2017-2022 as well as the Duterte administration’s National Security Policy are both cognizant of the need to protect the rights and promote the welfare of overseas Filipinos who constitute about 10 percent of the country’s population.

Both President Duterte and Go have been repeatedly calling for the establishment of a Department of Overseas Filipinos as proposed in Senate Bill 202, which seeks to systematically consolidate the mandates of different government agencies dealing with overseas Filipinos’ concerns under one department.

Recently, there have been proposals to place the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration under the proposed department.

Go noted that several departments and offices are handling the concerns of Filipinos overseas, thus posing a challenge in the delivery of public services.

He said the creation of just one department would streamline these services and greatly improve responsiveness, especially in times of crises. Such a department, he added, could better respond to the needs of overseas Filipinos, given the thousands that were repatriated because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Go emphasized that the reintegration services for returning overseas Filipinos, which is an integral part of the mandate of the proposed new department, must be prioritized to ensure that those who lost jobs and are forced to return home will be assisted through government livelihood and employment programs and other safety nets.

“Because of the crisis, many Filipinos were forced to go back home. While we are happy that they are able to rejoin their families, we have to make sure that the government is able to provide them with alternative livelihood to help them sustain their family’s needs,” he added.

Since the proposed measure establishing the new department is still pending legislation, Go committed to continue his support in enhancing the efforts of the DFA, Department of Labor and Employment, OWWA, POEA and other agencies in addressing the needs of migrant workers.